Sexuality in Adolescents with Disabilities

April 17, 2010

When it comes to sexuality, adolescents with disabilities are not much different than their non-disabled peers. A common misconception is that people who have developmental disabilities will never develop into sexually active adults (Sexuality, 2005). The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities (2010) has a list of links to different websites that have materials designed for talking about sexuality with adolescents who have various disabilities. In general the information that needs to be taught to disabled adolescents is the same as what is taught to non-disabled peers, but in some cases there are specific challenges unique to the disability. For example, issues with social skills associated with autism would pose particular challenges. Developmental disabilities would require an adjustment in the age of which certain aspects of sexuality are taught.

The risk of sexual abuse doubles for a disabled adolescent in comparison to a non-disabled peer (Sexuality, 2005). Unfortunately, only about 3% of their attackers will be caught. Van Dyke, McBrien, and Sherbondy (1995) mention that things such as communication deficits, transient caregivers, and isolation could be contributing to the high levels of abuse, particularly among adolescents with Down syndrome. Those same reasons could apply to several other disabled groups, such as children with cerebral palsy. Learning about sex and personal boundaries at a young age can help reduce the risk of a child with disabilities being sexually exploited (Sexuality, 2005).


Sexuality and developmental disability: A guide for parents. (2005). Calgary Health Region. Retrieved April 12, 2010. From http://www.teachingsexualhealth.ca/media/pdf/Sexuality_Developmental_Disability.pdf

Sexuality education for children and youth with disabilities (2010). National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities. Retrieved April 12, 2010. From http://www.nichcy.org/Pages/sexed.aspx#anchor5

Van Dyke, D., McBrien, D., and Sherbondy, A. (1995). Issues of sexuality in Down syndrome. Down syndrome research and practice. Retrieved April 12, 2010. http://www.ds-health.com/issues.htm